Oar



Apr. 17, 1923. 1,451,749

A. J. WILTROUT OAR Filed Apr. 6, 1922 s earner ALTON J'. WILTROUT, OF WARSAW, INDIANA.

OAR.

Application filed April 6,

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALToN J. lVILTnoUT, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Varsaw, in the county of Kosciusko and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to oars, and more particularly to bow facing oars. An oar used in rowing a boat is supported in a socket on the side of the boat, whereby the handle of the oar moves in the opposite direction from the blade, and it is thus necessary for the person rowing the boat to face the stern.

It has been proposed to employ an oar formed in two hinged sections which will permit the rower to face the bow of the boat and thus see the space in front of him toward which he is traveling. In the present invention, I provide a bow facing oar of simple construction consisting of two hinged sections and a suitable support which is mounted on the side of the boat and adapted to swing about a horizontal axis to permit the oars to be placed in the water and removed. The support extends in opposite directions from the side of the boat and each section of the car is pivotally mounted thereon.

An object of the invention is the provision of an oar and support of this type which may be folded inside the boat when not in use.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the invention showing the invention applied,

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the boatshowing the oars in folded position,

Figure 3 is a plan view of a portion of the car removed,

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the oar adjacent the hinge,

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure 4, and,

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional. view on line 66 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates a boat provided with sides 2. A pair of posts 3 are'secured to each side of the boat intermediate thebowand stern and spaced from each other to receive the oar support. The upper ends of these 1922. Serial No. 550,159.

posts extend slightly beyond the top of the side and are provided with eyes 4. The support comprises a bar 5, the ends of which are rounded, as at 6, and adapted to be received in the eyes 4. This bar extends inwardly from one post to a point intermediate the post and is then extended outwardly to the other post. An auxiliary supporting member 7 is pivot-ally mounted on the bar 5, adjacent the rear post and extends outwardly over the side of the boat,

The oar comprises a blade section 8 and a. handle section 9. These sections are hinged to each other by means of straps 10, secured to their upper and lower faces by bolts 11. As shown, one of the sets of straps are offset, as at 12, and are adapted to be arranged on the outside of the other set. A ferrule 13 is arranged between the straps and secured to the inner set of straps. A bolt or pivot pin 14 is arranged within the ferrule and extends through openings in the inner set of straps. The ends of the bolt are secured to the offset ends 12 of the outer set of straps. Roller bearings 14' are arranged between the ferrule 13 and the bolt 14:. Each of the sections are provided with pins 15, extending downwardly and. adapted to be received in sockets formed in the arms 5 and 7. One socket is formed at the juncture of the two sections of the arm 5, and is adapted to form a pivot for the handle of the oar. The other socket is formed in the outer end of the arm 7 and forms a pivot for the blade.

In operation, the rower sits in the boat facing the bow on a seat 16, arranged immediately behind the oars and grasps the handles. By forming the oar in two sections, hinged to each other, the blade will be moved forwardly when the handle has moved forwardly, as indicated in dotted lines. The depth of the stroke may be regulated by swinging the oar and support in a vertical plane on the bearings 6. Each section of the oar swings about the pins 15 as a pivot and the movement of the handle section moves the blade section through the provision of the pivot 14:.

In addition to the advantage of facing the bow of the boat, the construction provides an oar and support which may be folded within the boat when not in use. As shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the main support 5 may be swung downwardly and. the auxiliary support 7 swing inwardly to place the sections of the oar adjacent the side 2. In addition, the oar itself may be folded when removed from the support, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3 of the drawings.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope or the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a pair of posts adapted to be secured to the side of a bolt and spaced from each other, the upper ends of said posts being provided with eyes, a substantially V-shaped supporting member, said member being provided with offset, rounded ends adapted to be received in said eyes to permit movement of said supporting member in a vertical plane, an auxiliary supporting member carried by said V-shaped supporting member and extending in the opposite direction, and an oar formed of two sections: hinged to each other, one of said sections being pivotally mounted on each of said supporting members.

2. In a device of the character described, a substantially V-shaped supporting member adapted to be pivoted at its ends to the side of a boat and to have its intermediate portion extend inwardly thereof,-an auxiliary supporting member pivotally connected with said V-shaped supporting member and extending in the opposite direction, and an oar formed of two sections hinged together, one of said sections being pivotally connected with said main supporting member intermediate its ends, the other of said sections being pivotally connected with said auxiliary supporting member, the hinged ends of said sections being curved out of alinement with said sections.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALTON J. WILTROUT.

Witnesses: I

Jenn A. SLOANI-J, ELLEN IV. RAsoR. 

